Duke names new radio broadcaster for football, men's basketball

David Shumate, an Appalachian State graduate, will be the new radio broadcaster for Duke football and men’s basketball, it was announced Monday.

Shumate’s first game will come Sept. 2 when North Carolina Central visits Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. His first road game with Duke will come Sept. 23 at North Carolina.

His title will be director of broadcasting for the Blue Devil IMG Sports Network.

Shumate replaces Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Harris, who concluded his 41st season as Voice of the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 school year.

“I am extremely thankful for this incredible opportunity as I’ve admired and respected the Duke brand from afar for many, many years and could not be more excited to join two championship caliber programs,” Shumate said.

Shumate spent the last five years as IMG’s director of audio operations. His broadcasting experience includes play-by-play duties for the Mid-American Conference championship football game (2010-16), Southeastern Conference men’s basketball tournament (2011-17) and SEC Tournament in baseball (2013-17).

Shumate, who also has handled basketball play-by-play responsibilities for Auburn, Connecticut, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Washington and West Virginia. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in communication with a concentration in electric media and broadcasting.

Harris announced last summer that he would conclude his radio duties following the men’s basketball season, which ended in March.

Harris called nearly 1,400 Duke men’s basketball games.

Last fall, Harris closed his football broadcasting career at Duke having called 471 consecutive games in a streak that began Sept. 11, 1976.

Harris was the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He’s a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006) and the Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame (1993).

In 2009, Harris was honored with the ACC’s Skeeter Francis Award, an honor presented annually to individuals for distinguished service to the league. In 2016, Harris received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, an honor conferred by the Governor of North Carolina for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and its communities.

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